Ice Age Three: The Saber Pride
by SteelersGrl57
Summary: You've heard stories about Sid and Manny. Now it's time to hear a story about Diego. When the herd is attacked by a pack of tigers, Diego is forced to stay with them. Also, How does a human named Inushuk tie in with this? Full summary inside
1. The Sabers Attack

Disclaimer: I do not, in any way, own Ice Age or its characters, because if I did, I would be extremelyrich.I only own that of which I created myself.

AN: Hello, everybody. My first story on fanfiction. I hope you enjoy it!

ICE AGE 3: The Saber Pride: Summary

We've heard story's about Sid the sloth. We've heard stories about Manfred the mammoth. Now, you'll get to read a story about the third member of the trio: Diego the tiger. The Ice Age was over, and so was the Melt Down. Now, the herd could live out the rest of their days in peace. Or so they thought. When an incident happens involving a pack of saber tooth tigers, Diego is forced to stay with them, and of course his herd stays with him. He is confronted with both his past and his future as he learns how to live and love. Meanwhile, not too far away, a young human warrior by the name of Inushuk lives. At sixteen years old, he is ready to marry his love, Kyria. But when his tribe is attacked by a rival tribe, he takes Kyria and flees. How do these two stories tie together? Read and find out.

CHAPTER 1

"Please?"

"No."

"Please?"

"Sid, NO!"

"Come on, Diego, please?"

"For the last time, no! I am not carrying you!"

"Fine! I'll just take my wonderful conversation elsewhere!" huffed the sloth, turning and walking in a different direction. "Hey, Riley!"

Diego rolled his green eyes as Sid hustled over to the young mammoth. At six months old, Manny and Ellie's daughter was energetic, playful, and already as big as the Saber. Then again, even Diego, who's pride often overshadowed his heart, had a soft spot for his friend's child. Little Riley was, as of yet, carefree. Only she didn't understand how unusual her "family" was. Though she had two parents the same species as her, she also had two possums for uncles, and traveled in a herd with a sloth and a saber tooth tiger.

How such a herd had found each other is certainly a story worth remembering. It began not so long ago, when the world was made of ice. Of course, everyone is familiar with that story.

Now, everything was peaceful. Their adventures were over. They could travel southward without so much as a step away from their path. Or so they thought.

Diego watched on as Riley wrapped her trunk around Sid's middle and plopped him onto her back, and couldn't help but let a smile form on his face. The kid held no grudges against anyone and seemed to never be annoyed. She even listened when Sid talked on and on, often throwing her two cents in. She was a lot like her mother, but she had her father in her as well. She was very blunt and sarcastic, just as Manny often was, and while she was carefree just like Ellie, she had a much greater sense of humility, handed down to her from Manny.

Manny was another story. Diego never saw his friend so happy as then day he first saw his daughter. He had to say that he was happy for him. Ellie had done Manny so much good, and Riley had done him even better. He was always afraid of what might become of a family, due to what had become of his when he was young. Now, Diego was sure, those thoughts were gone from his head. He would never wish Ellie and Riley out of his life. Ever.

"Hey!" cried Diego, reaching a paw up to rub his head, which had been hit by a small stone. He hadn't a doubt in his mind who had thrown a pebble at him. It couldn't have been a whole second before Crash and Eddie, the possums, were on his back laughing.

"That never gets old!" Eddie said, kicking up his feet and lounging lightly on the saber's golden fur.

"Get off!" replied Diego, whipping his head around and snapping his teeth at the possums. With a light screech, they both scampered down his back and over to their "sister."

The Saber trotted after them, shaking his head. If there was one member of the herd he didn't want to upset, it was Ellie. He also knew a good way to upset Ellie was by threatening her brothers.

"Whoa, what happened?" asked Ellie as Crash leapt up to grab her tail, pulling himself to her back. Eddie took a different route, preferring to climb up her trunk instead.

"They threw a rock at my head!" spoke up Diego, hoping to save himself before the brothers could make up a story. He sounded very much like a child telling on a sibling.

Ellie sent a hard glance her brothers' way, and they ducked down a bit under her gaze. "How many times do I have to tell you? Don't bother carnivores! You'll get yourself killed quick enough without provoking possum-eating tigers!"

"What carnivore? It was just Diego!" piped up Eddie, causing a low growl to vibrate in the tiger's throat. He lowered his stance, as if getting ready to pounce. Of course, he knew better than to do so, especially with Ellie underneath them.

"You just wait…" growled the saber, turning away from the trio and striding up towards the front of the pack. As he passed Sid atop of Riley and came to walk beside Manfred, he found it hard to believe that he had nearly helped kill both for a baby.

* * *

"Manny! I'm goin' out hunting! I shouldn't be too long," Diego called to his friend, turning to head slightly to the east of where the herd had stopped. 

"Oh, can I come, Diego? I'll be real quiet! I promise!" exclaimed Riley, hurrying over to where both her parents and Diego stood.

The Tiger tried to keep the soft smile from coming to his face, and half succeeded. "Not really up to me, kid. Ask your Dad."

The young mammoth spun faster than Diego had ever thought was possible. "Well can I, Mommy? Please?"

"Oh, I don't know, Riley…" Ellie said, trailing off a bit at the end.

"Aw, come on, please?"

"If your father thinks it's alright," Ellie stated, looking toward Manny.

"Well, if Diego doesn't mind, I don't see why not," he responded, glancing questioningly at the Tiger.

Diego sighed as Riley looked at him hopefully. Manny's daughter would certainly slow him down, but something compelled him to say, "Alright, kid, come on."

"_Yes!_" she exclaimed, jumping up and down a bit, running a circle around her mother's front legs.

"You be careful, you hear?" Ellie said sternly to her daughter. "Listen to Diego, and do exactly as he says."

"Don't worry, Mommy, I will."

"Diego!" called Manny, beckoning his friend over. "Don't let anything happen to her."

"Ah, don't worry Manny. I'm not goin' to let anything near Riley. I'll even stay close by."

The mammoth seemed reassured, and let Diego go on his way.

* * *

"What now, Diego?" asked Riley, her voice high and excited. 

"Now we be quiet. See this footprint? An antelope. He's just over this hill. I can smell him. Now listen, Riley, you can watch, but don't get too close. I want you to stay at the top of the hill, okay? I don't want you to get hurt, okay?"

"Alright." she said, a smile on her face.

"Come on, kid. Real light steps, okay? Be careful not to step on any twigs."

They reached the top of the hill with no mishaps. "Now don't move,"

Diego dug his claws into the ground and sprang into action. Just as he was about to leap at a doe, Riley's call was heard.

"Wait! Don't! You might hurt it!"

Diego sighed as he saw his prey prance away, completely untouched. He turned and looked at Riley, quickly saying, "That's kind of what you have to do if you want to eat it!"

"Oh! Right!" (AN: Big thanks to Whale Shark 7 for that little scene there)

Diego shook his head. He knew he should be annoyed, but he wasn't really. The herd hadn't gone far, and before long he had caught himself a descent sized meal.

As he was dragging his prey backwards, away from the stampeding herd, a sound reached his ears. It was a high-pitched scream.

"_Diego!_" called Riley. She sounded like she was in near panic. Leaving the animal carcass behind him, he spun instantly at the sound of her voice. His eyes widened and he sprung into a sprint as he saw her attacker. It was a small pack of saber tooth tigers! Three of them! Just like him!

He pushed off the ground with even more force as he saw the leading tiger draw nearer to Manny's daughter. He let a long, loud roar of rage escape his throat, which echoed through the valley. That alone was enough to slow Riley's predator, and he hoped it was enough to get to Manny and Ellie.

"RUN!" cried Diego, bounding up the hill, his agility allowing him to take even the steepest route and still travel at the same speed. Riley, however, seemed to be frozen in place.

The attacker leapt, claws out and ready, teeth bared, only to be knocked forcibly to the side by Diego. The two sabers rolled over the side of the hill. As he was rolling, a loud trumpeting sound was heard, followed by a second, and before long, the two mammoths stampeded into the area. Manny wasted no time in charging ahead of his daughter, tusks lowered towards the tigers, while Ellie went directly to Riley, wrapping her trunk around her and quickly escorting her out of the valley.

Another tiger from the pack saw this, and began loping towards the two, obviously hoping to take Riley from her mother's firm grasp.

Diego, having recovered from his fall, quickly darted after the tiger, passing it in one fluid motion and spinning around, coming face to face with the other saber. Without another thought in mind, he leapt, knocking his foe over backwards, pinning it to the ground.

It was then that he noticed that the struggling animal below him wasn't a Tiger, but a Tigress. A female. He didn't, however, let her go simply due to this revelation. Instead he growled in a low voice, "Take your hunting elsewhere. A herd of antelope just went that way. I'm pretty sure that there's a flock of birds a little bit more to the west as well. But there's no Mammoth on the menu tonight."

"Who are you?" came a male voice to his right. He looked up at the brawny male, but still kept his front paws firmly on the tigress below, refusing to let her up, no matter how much she struggled.

"Name's Diego. Not that it's any of your business."

"I'm Bruno," stated the tiger, "and I say what is and isn't my business."

"That is, unless it has to do with me."

"Oh, I think not! Oh, and I'm ever so curious… Diego. What's a tiger like yourself doing alone, playing body guard to a family of mammoths. Shouldn't you be with the rest of us?"

"That's my business, not yours," replied Diego, narrowing his eyes.

"Maybe he's an outcast."

Diego's head whipped to the tigress next to Bruno.

"Well?" she asked expectantly. "Are you? Oh, and I'd like it if you let my sister up. Alaya really doesn't belong on the ground.

Diego had nearly forgot he had her pinned. After a moment of thought, he stepped off of her. Immediately, she rolled over and stood up, retreating to her sister's side. Her tawny eyes gazed angrily at Diego, and he met them briefly before turning back to Bruno.

"I left my pack on my own accord. As did the rest of my herd."

"Your… herd?" asked Alaya, speaking for the first time.

"Yes. My herd. Me, three mammoths, two possums, and a sloth. Why? Do you have a problem with that?"

"A strange herd, isn't it?" she asked again. Unlike the other two, she seemed slightly curious.

"Ouch!" cried Bruno suddenly, a paw reaching up to his head. "Who did that?"

"Oh, Bruno, I'd like you to meet Crash and Eddie," Diego said, smirking. Though he hadn't actually seen the possums, he knew their handiwork.

"See, Diego, we've decided to forget what Ellie said about carnivores."

The two had yet again hopped onto his back. Also, Sid had appeared next to him.

"Whoa, Diego, there's four of you!" he exclaimed. Bruno bared his teeth at the sloth, and Sid took a step back. "Nice kitty… don't eat me!"

"Nobody's eating anybody!" exclaimed Diego, stepping in front of his herd. "Listen, we came here for the summer. We're _not_ leaving."

"Oh, and you think we are? I have a whole pack of tigers who need a place to stay. I don't think they'd just up and leave willingly. Nor will I."

"We have no intent of bothering your pack. So long as you don't bother ours."

"I don't think you understand, Diego," laughed Bruno. "I don't have to let you stay here. I have fifteen tigers verses you little "herd." But… I'm going to let you remain. We can always use an addition to our pack, and seeing you fight… I have to say I'm a bit impressed, you having not been with other tigers. You stay with us. Maybe you'll decide to stay for good."

"I don't think so," growled Diego, not taking his eyes off Bruno.

"Oh, but I do. You stay with us through the summer, and we promise to stay away from your… herd. You try and leave now, and my pack brings you all down." Bruno stepped forward, past Diego, coming to stand in front of Riley and Ellie. "All of you," he said again, staring pointedly at Riley.

Ellie pulled the frightened mammoth closer to her side and thrust her tusks out. Manny trumpeted again and strode ahead, stepping between his daughter and Bruno. The tiger was not stupid by any means. He knew the weak spot of the herd without having to be told.

Diego roared again as Bruno stepped over the boundary, getting close to Riley. He pounced, knocking Bruno aside, even after Manny stepped between them. He wasn't sure why he pressed his luck with the larger tiger like that. Maybe he wanted to prove to Manny that he would protect Riley no matter what. After all, she had been with him when she was attacked.

Bruno growled as he hit the ground. Diego was already standing by Manny's side. Though he may not be stronger than Bruno, he was certainly quicker and more agile. By this point, Diego was sure he was the leader of his pack.

A glimpse was caught of the tigress's faces, and Diego read only shock, bewilderment, and a hint of admiration. He hadn't long to ponder this, though, as Bruno was back on his feet, and his eyes were burning with fire, and also something else which Diego couldn't be sure about.

Swiftly, he struck a paw out, his claws forming three deep gashes in Diego's shoulder.

"Diego!" cried Riley as the saber drew back, gasping in pain.

Diego struck out in response, narrowly missing Bruno's eye. Then, he lunged forward at him, pushing him off balance before darting a few feet away where he stood still, his breathing labored a bit as he tried to push the pain in his shoulder out of his mind.

Bruno, having regained his balance, sprinted toward Diego, who, in turn, gave chase. There was no question about the tiger's strength, but did Bruno have the speed and stamina to catch him? His shoulder burned in pain, but he ran anyway, the tigers making a complete circle around the large valley. After another half-circle, Diego noticed Bruno begin to fall back, losing speed little by little. It was a little longer before his loss of speed became quite apparent. Diego took this as his chance to switch to the offensive stance.

He sat back a bit on his haunches and spun, facing Bruno. Now, he thought, he was in a fair fight. Bruno slid to a halt, standing to catch his breath. Diego took advantage of his opponents mistake and charged forward, swiping his claws over the tiger's side and knocking him over again. As he stood over Bruno, he knew he could have killed him. He also knew that it would do him no good, while showing mercy on the leader of the pack might help him a great deal.

The cat lay underneath him, wincing in pain. Diego did, however, notice a smirk come to his face. "Diego," he said, his voice slightly softer now from the pain of the cut. "Good job. You fight with good strategy. Of course, if it were me, I may have gone for the kill, but that's just me. You stay."

Diego finally understood what Bruno was trying to do. He was testing him. He wanted to see how he fought. Apparently he had met the standards. How could he refuse to stay? If he did, Bruno set his pack on the herd. Riley came to mind. "Let me talk it over with my herd."

After a moment of silence, Bruno replied, "Fine. On one condition. Alaya and Aria are to go with you, to ensure you don't run off without our knowing."

Aria, Diego assumed, was the other tigress hunting with them. Diego held his gaze on Bruno for a moment, considering his condition. He knew that, by tiger standards, the other saber was being considerably thoughtful and generous. Also, just from first impressions, Bruno seemed to be true to his word. "Deal."

* * *

"So, how _did_ you come to be in this… um… herd?" Aria asked Diego as they began their short journey away from the valley. 

Diego ignored the tigress, instead trotting up to where Manny and Ellie walked, Riley still clinging to her mother's side like a newborn.

"Hey, kid. You okay?" Diego asked softly.

Riley took in a deep, shaky breath and nodded her head.

"Don't worry, Diego. She's fine," said Ellie, wrapping her trunk around her daughter's shoulders.

Diego looked toward Manny. "I'm so sorry," he said, dropping his head a bit.

"Sorry?" Manny asked. "For what? You saved our daughter, Diego. Why should you be sorry for that. If nothing else, we're grateful."

The tiger looked up, letting a slight smile creep onto his mouth. "That's what you do in a herd."

The mammoth smiled, remembering the last time Diego has said those words. Then, he was also confronted with other sabers, and then he had defended them just as he had today.

"Um, a little help back here!" came a cry from behind. Normally they would have been worried, but the voice came from a certain sloth named Sid.

Manny and Diego shared a look, holding it. It turned into something of a short staring contest.

"Oh, alright. I'll do it," sighed Diego, turning around and walking slowly back towards the screaming sloth, who's middle was now currently being held in the mouth of Aria.

"Come on, ladies, you don't want to eat that," said Diego, shaking his head. "You might get a disease."

"Hey!" exclaimed Sid. "I'll have you know that I'm completely nontoxic!"

Aria rolled her eyes and dropped the sloth, who landed with a thud on the ground.

"Well, we didn't exactly have any dinner. Of course, we would have if it weren't for you."

"Oh, Aria, forget it. Bruno told us to leave them alone anyway, remember? Besides, as much as I hate to admit it, they have a saber and two mammoths verses us. Think about it."

"Oh, alright. But we're going hunting first chance we get tomorrow! I'm starving!"

Diego rolled his eyes and turned away from the tigresses, Sid scurrying after him.

"Whew! Thank goodness you came, Diego! They would have eaten me! You know, they kind of remind me of you! Except, you know, they're girls. You know, you and that light colored one would make a cute couple, especially since that one didn't try to eat me, you know what I- um, Diego, that's my throat! I use that to do a lot of things! Swallow, talk, _breath_…"

Sid sighed as the tiger let him go.

"Hey! I don't get it! You yell at us, and then you go and eat him!" cried Aria, trotting up beside him, Alaya following. If there was one thing he noticed about them it was that Aria was the leader, while Alaya was always found quietly following.

"I'm allowed. Besides, I wasn't eating him. He tastes bad! I was just teaching him a lesson," drawled Diego, not turning to look at them. Instead, he continued walking towards the front of the herd again, stopping next to Riley. To his distain, the sisters followed.

The little mammoth cowered away, stepping further underneath her mother at sight of the two tigresses. "Aw, look. She's scared," came Aria's voice.

He wasn't sure whether the voice was taunting or sympathetic, but in any case, he stepped between Riley and the tigresses. "With good reason," he replied, his tone accusing. "Three full grown sabers coming at her would be enough to scare most."

Aria looked around Diego at the mammoth. Ellie, in response, wrapped her trunk around her daughter and pulled her further out of sight, glaring at the tigress. Diego also blocked her view, taking another step forward.

"Stay away from her," he growled, his tone low and threatening. "If I _ever _catch you bothering her, I'll… well, let's just say that Bruno won't be able to save you."

"Okay, okay. Relax, Diego. We won't go around scaring your little friends."

"They're my herd. Not my 'little friends.' Get used to it!"

* * *

"So, Manny, what are we going to do?" asked Sid from atop Ellie's back. 

"I… don't know. Every way I look at it we have to stay here. There's no loophole, no detours, nothing. We go, they hunt us. We stay, they don't. At least they say they won't."

"No. You're wrong."

Everyone looked up at Diego as he spoke, save for Riley, who was lying asleep in between her parents. Had he found a way out of the situation?

"You go. I stay. They don't want you to stay. They couldn't care less about you. Bruno made it clear that he wants me. That's the solution. Problem solved."

"No, problem not solved," argued Manny. "We aren't leaving you here alone. This herd doesn't split up."

"Come on, Manny. It's the only way out of this."

"Then we won't leave. That's all there is to it. How many times have you risked your life for us? All we're doing is returning the favor."

"That's right," chimed in Sid. "Hey, you just saved my butt two hours ago."

"Then that solves it," stated Ellie. "We're staying. We just have to hope Bruno stays true to his word. For all our sakes."

* * *

"Well, what do you think?"

Alaya, broken out of her light trance by her sister, looked up quickly. "What?"

"What do you think about him? I mean, you must have some opinion. You've only been watching him for the past... what was it now, an hour or so?" Aria said, laughing a bit.

"About who?" asked Alaya, turning her head away a bit. Of course she knew exactly who her sister was talking about, but she would never admit to it.

"Oh, don't play dumb. Diego! I mean, it's not all that often that a strange, mysterious tiger comes out of nowhere and pins you to the ground, now, is it? And can you believe he attacked Bruno? I mean, how much bigger is Bruno than Diego and he still went for him! Come on, you've got to have some thoughts."

"I don't like him," said Alaya stubbornly.

"Oh, you're just saying that 'cause he pinned you! But you have to admit that he's handsome! Come on, Alaya, look at him!"

"Okay, so he's good looking! That doesn't mean I have to like him!"

"Well, no. But you know you do!" urged Aria. "Why else have you been staring at him all evening?"

"I haven't," replied Alaya, lifting her head from her paws.

"Sure, Alaya, sure."

"I haven't!" the tigress defended herself.

"Go talk to him tomorrow. He doesn't seem to like me much anyway. How _do_ you think he came to be in this... herd?"

"I don't know. Something must have happened with his pack... or something. I mean, he had to have been in a pack before. After all, he's proved he knows how to fight other sabers. Just look at Bruno."

"Well, ask him tomorrow when you talk to him!"

"I'm not talking to him!"

"Oh, yes you will!"

"I won't!"

"Whatever you say, Alaya," sighed Aria, knowing that her sister would talk to him eventually.

* * *

Wll, there's the first chapter! I hope everyone liked it! Please R&R! More to be posted soon! SteelersGrl36 


	2. For the Love of Kyria

Disclaimer: I do not own Ice Age, or any of it's characters. If I did, I would have a good bit more money than I do now:-) I only ownthose those characters in this story that I myself made up, and to myself I also owe the plot.

AN: Finally, I got some reviews! It hasn't really been that long, but it's still good to know that at least someone has given my story a try! A special thanks to my very first reviewer on my very first story ever... DRAGULA! And another big round of applause for WHALE SHARK 7, who was my second reviewer, but gave me an excellent idea for my first chapter, which I have now edited for her (loved your idea! hope you don't mind that I actually used it! I can take it out if you really want me to:-) Anyway, on with the story!

**_Chapter Two_**

Not too far from the herd's location lived another herd. A herd very strange in the eyes of Diego, Manny, and Sid, but a herd that they had confronted once before. It was a herd of humans that resided in the small village. Raw-hide huts filled with stone masers and animal fur served as homes to many a family. Loud sounds of barking and growling escaped through the sharp, deadly teeth of a wolf, floating through the air and echoing off the large stone structure to the north. Somewhere, concealed within the folds of one of the lonely huts, were three men, discussing an important tradition.

"I'll do anything," stated one young man bravely, his soft, steady gaze meeting that the older man before turning to meet his father's proud eyes. The boy couldn't have been more than sixteen years old, and here he was speaking to two men twice his age as if he were one of them. As of yet, there was only one thing standing in his way.

"Anything would be easy," stated the boy's father. "The task asked of you, the very same that was asked of me, is difficult beyond belief."

"Well, what is that task?" asked the young man eagerly.

A moment of silence echoed through the tent before the older man next to his father spoke. "You are to choose three hunters to come with you, travel east, and hunt down a mammoth."

The young man's gaze slowly changed from eager to slightly worried. "A mammoth?" he asked, glancing from one man to the other.

"Inushuk," said his father, "I know this is not an easy task asked of you, but as is tradition, you must complete it. That is, if you are to ever have Kyria's hand."

Kyria. At the mention of the young, beautiful girl he had come to love, Inushuk felt a warm sensation run through him. "I accept this task," he said in a final tone. In a low, inaudible voice, he muttered to himself, "for Kyria."

The proud smile that appeared on his father's face seemed to make his decision worthwhile.

"You will do a fine job," his father said, "but I advise you to choose your three soldiers wisely. Remember what it is that you must retrieve."

"I will remember."

"Good. You leave tomorrow. Now, choose your warriors and go to my daughter. She would never forgive you if you failed to say goodbye."

Inushuk nodded, a smile on his face. He and his father stood and headed out of the tent. Before he left, Inushuk turned around and nodded again to the man remaining inside. "Thank you, sir."

"Sir? Inushuk, at this point, I think you may start calling me father."

"But I haven't completed my task. It isn't until then that Kyria and I will be engaged, let alone married."

"Inushuk. Call me father. I'm sure you will have little trouble in completing this task. Mammoth's don't go down easy, but you're young and strong, and you will have the help of any three soldiers. It would do me proud for you to call me father."

"Thank you, father," Inushuk grinned, turning and leaving the tent, running to catch up to his father.

"Inushuk," his father said, "you couldn't possibly understand how proud I am of you. You've chosen a wonderful bride, my son. Kyria reminds me so much of Katara. Your mother would have been proud."

After a moment of silence, Inushuk spoke up. "Father, how _did_ mother die? Every time I ask, you change the subject. Please, tell me." For so long, Inushuk had known his father was keeping something from him. It had to have been something important.

His father sighed and closed his eyes, thinking deeply before saying, "Inushuk, come with me."

Curious, the young man followed his father, and soon found himself on a cliff, high above a river.

"This… this is where your mother began her road to death, Inushuk," began his father slowly. "A pack of tigers attacked us here. I didn't see what happened to her, but a young woman in the tribe was with her that day, and she did. A tiger had entered the hut and tried to take her baby. He had tried to take _you_. I don't know why. Your mother grabbed you and ran, the tiger in pursuit. He chased her up onto this cliff. He would have killed her right then and there, but she did the unthinkable. She held you tight and jumped."

Inushuk shivered, stepping forward and looking over the edge of the cliff. It was so far to the water. "Father, if she didn't survive that, how did I?"

"I'm not sure Inushuk. Nobody knew what happened to you in between your mother's death and your return to us."

"How did you find me? It seems nearly impossible."

"It was impossible, Inushuk. As much as we searched you were nowhere to be found. We never came across you. You were returned to us."

"But who found me?"

Inushuk's father sighed and said, "Inushuk, you may not believe this, but… you were returned to us by a mammoth. A mammoth and a sloth. I swear it. The mammoth was carrying you up on it's back, and it set you down with its trunk. I'm not sure how or what really happened, but believe it or not, before we left, you walked back over to those two animals like they were your family. I'd swear that the sloth hugged you, and the mammoth picked you up by his trunk again before handing you over to me. I gave him a token in return. It was a string of beads; the only thing left for me to remember you by. I gave it to him. You were too young to remember."

Inushuk almost didn't believe his father, but he knew he would never lie to him. A mammoth and a sloth? How? As he was walking back, he remained silent in deep thought. Suddenly, he was hit with a thought, or maybe a dream. He couldn't be sure what it was. It was as if a part of a story was replaying in his head, but not enough to make sense. There were no pictures. Just sounds.

* * *

_Labored breathing echoed about. A low growling could be heard over the quiet roar of water. Silence and then a great heave of breath. Wind whistled around them for a long moment before a giant splash of water. Muffled sounds echoed about, heard from under the water, and then another splash and a woman trying to catch her breath. Soon, the roar of water died down, and only a light trickle remained. The sound of hitting wet land and then the sound of something being pushed up onto a bank, and rolling a bit away before being stopped by something. A baby's giggle and a loud snort before words drifting in and out, not always audible. _

"_He's okay! Hey… She's gone… But you saved his life!" came a voice with an apparent lateral lisp. Then came footsteps, not very loud but very long. _

"_Don't worry, I'll… we don't need that… do we…"_

"_This… got to see," came another voice. _

_The sound of someone struggling before more words. "I'm okay! I'm… going to die. Ouch! Oof! Ow!"_

_A baby's high-pitched whoop of joy, and then the sound of a tiger's roar. Another voice, "I was returning him to his herd."_

"_Actually… belongs to us."_

"_Us?"_

"_There… no us"_

"_I see. Couldn't… need… adopt."_

"_Hey…"_

"_You calling… liar?"_

"_NO…"_

"_You were thinking…"_

"_I don't like… cat, he… minds._

"_Oh… just a …. helping out."_

"_I just know where… humans are."_

"_Everybody knows they have a camp… other side… Glacier Pass. Come _

_on… I'll help… to his herd."_

"_Great!"_

_Now there were sounds of climbing again, before a soft, shocked gasp._

"_I told you. Give me… baby. Unless you… how… track."_

"_Come on… we'll take him to… humans."_

"_Aw, tigey wigey… left behind."_

"_Tigey wigey's… lead the way."_

"_Better watch… back, cause… be chewing on it."_

"_Up here where… you! Sooner we… there, the… can get rid… drool face… the baby, too."

* * *

_

Inushuk shook his head, coming out of his trance a bit. That was strange. So strange. He could swear he never heard the conversation before, yet it seemed so familiar to him that he had to have heard it from somewhere. He decided to worry about it later as he saw a young woman just up ahead.

"Inushuk!" she exclaimed, running over to him and wrapping her arms around his neck.

"Kyria," he said softly, lifting her up off the ground an inch or so before setting her down. "It's a mammoth."

The woman's chocolate eyes clouded over with worry. "A mammoth? Inushuk, are you serious? Because if this is a joke, I'll kill you!"

"No joke. But don't worry. I have my choice of three hunters from the tribe to go with me. We'll be back before you know it."

"When are you leaving?"

"Tomorrow."

Kyria nodded somberly. "Who are your hunters?"

Inushuk smiled. "I know the perfect men."

The warriors Inushuk had chosen seemed to be a bit of a strange bunch at first, but it didn't take one long to understand the man's choices.

His first choice had been Akalayak, his best friend while growing up. The sixteen year old man was, for one, Inushuk's most trusted companion, and was quick and agile, with much energy. He and Inushuk combined would be a force to be reckoned with.

Inushuk's second choice was Nanook, a man in his early thirties. Nanook was by far one of the strongest members of the tribe, and was very skilled with both spear and machete. He would be vital in fighting off predators and eventually bringing down a mammoth.

Lastly, Inushuk chose Tuma. Tuma wasn't strong like Nanook, and he wasn't fast like Akalayak. No, the elderly man was full of wisdom. His knowledge would be important when trying to survive in the cold valleys and his techniques in hunting would be put to good use.

That night, Inushuk fell into a deep, dream filled sleep quickly. In his dreams, faces were added to the voices he previously heard.

* * *

_It was cold. The wind was chilling. The sound of a baby's cry filled the air. And there was the baby! Riding atop a giant mammoth, he was. Beside the mammoth walked a sloth, and on the other side, a saber tooth tiger._

"_Hey! He's wearing one of those baby thingies!" voiced the mammoth, and after a short dispute, the sloth with a lateral lisp to his words checked the baby's diaper, throwing the clean cloth at the mammoth. After the sloth was hit by the giant animal, the baby giggled._

"_That seems to be working out fabulously."_

"_Here! Turn him towards me!" came the sly, roughish voice of the tiger. Standing over the baby, he covered his eyes with his paws. "Where's the baby?" Then suddenly, he snapped his paws from his eyes and said, "There he is!"_

_The baby continued crying. "Stop it! You're scaring him!" scolded the mammoth , whacking the tiger on the head with his trunk._

_They continued on their journey, coming to a cave. After so long, they entered a larger chamber with drawings on the wall. The mammoth's stare seemed transfixed on a small drawing of three mammoths. He ran his trunk along the baby mammoth, and came in contact with the human baby's hand. He drew away quickly and lifted the baby up, setting him on his back and walking off._

_They exited the cave, and danger came. Before long, they were running over a narrow bridge, a river of lava on either side. The baby watched as the tiger jumped, and didn't quite make it, hanging onto the side of the wall, claws deep in the ice. The baby was handed to the sloth, and the mammoth helped the cat up, nearly dying himself._

"_Why did you do that?" asked the tiger. "You could have died trying to save me."_

"_That's what you do in a herd. You look out for each other."

* * *

_

Those last words stayed with Inushuk through the whole day, not to mention the dream itself. It was pure nonsense, he was sure. The dream was simply triggered when his father told him of his past. After all, animals couldn't really talk, and to truly picture a sloth changing his own diaper. Still, there was always that possibility that it was the truth. It seemed so familiar to him, despite his own doubts and denials.

"Inushuk, what's wrong?"

The young man snapped out of his small, self-made trance at his friends words. "What? Oh, nothing, really. Anyway, back to strategy."

"Right," Akalayak said, staring curiously at Inushuk.

"Mammoths are huge animals. We'll need a great amount of skill and strength to bring one to the ground," explained Tuma. "Inushuk, keep your bow always near at hand. It will be vital, as we won't always be close. It could make the difference in this hunt.

"The goal is to trap one, as if we were tigers. Akalayak, we will need you for that. You are quick and agile. As big as mammoths are, they normally will not trample. You will need to act as two men, and cut the mammoth off when we need you to.

"Nanook, you will be an important key as well. You are tall, and very strong. It will be your job, once we have cornered the mammoth, to go for his throat. Do you all understand your positions?"

All three of the men nodded, and they all stood and exited the tent. They would at sundown.

Inushuk sighed and ran a hand through his hair. Could he do this? Mammoths were huge animals, with sharp, ivory tusks and unbelievable power. He highly doubted a spear in it's side would do it an awful lot of harm.

He lifted his hand to his mouth and whistled long and loud. When he stopped, the air seemed so silent. Then, before long, energetic barking was heard, and it didn't take long for the she-wolf to skid to a stop in front of her favorite human.

"Hey, Asungaq, you all ready?" he asked the wolf. She was a sleek, thin canine, with a long, thin nose and large, intelligent eyes. Her silver fur fell in a glossy sheet over her body, and her eyes were large and intelligent.

"We have quite an adventure ahead of us, girl," he said. Asungaq barked in reply, and looked up at him. "I know you'll do fine. And so will I."

"Inushuk!"

Inushuk looked up from his wolf at the call of his name. The sight before him made his heart melt. Kyria was running toward him. While her tanned skin seemed so fair and smooth, her eyes were clouded over with worry. Her ebony hair billowed out lightly behind her as she ran, lifted by the gentle breeze.

Inushuk caught her in his arms, holding her close to him. She buried her face into the folds of his tunic, and when she looked back up at him, her eyes glistened with silent tears.

"Kyria, please don't cry. Think about how happy we'll be after this. We'll be husband and wife, Kyria, and everything will be wonderful."

The woman took in a deep, shaky breath and laid her head yet again on his chest. "Oh, Inushuk, please be careful! If you come back hurt, I don't know what I'll do…" she said, straying off at the due to Inushuk's hand raising in the air.

"Don't you think like that. I'll make it back fine, we will be married, and we will be happy."

"I don't doubt it."

Inushuk quickly glanced around him. He could see eighteen-year-old Akalayak saying goodbye to his wife and parents. To his left, Nanook was bent down, hugging his two children. Tuma kissed his granddaughter on the cheek and stood up to hug his son. Up above him, the moon was slowly becoming visible. It was time to leave.

Inushuk dipped his head and gave Kyria a soft parting kiss before hugging her one last time and stepping away. "I'll be back, Kyria. Goodbye."

* * *

"Come on! We have to make it across the valley before sunup!" called Inushuk, running ahead of the rest of his tribe a bit, Asungaq circling his feet. She was a young wolf, but once she picked up a scent, she would never drop it until it was found. But how would she act when faced with a mammoth.

Before long, Asungaq had her nose in the melting snow, scraping at it with a paw. Then, she lifted her head and howled, indicating that she had found something. Inushuk rushed up to his wolf, bending down and squinting in the darkness to see what it was. It wasn't a mammoth track, but something much more deadly. A saber tooth tiger had been through. Maybe a pack of them. In any case, they would have to keep their guard up.

"What is it, Inushuk?" called Nanook. "What have you found?"

Inushuk stood and said, "Sabers have been this way, he said, indicating the paw print.

Tuma's frown was apparent on his face. "Sabers are not good, Inushuk. Especially if they are hungry, and especially if they are in packs. One alone is difficult to fight off.

Inushuk nodded in understanding, and motioned to Akalayak. "Scout ahead and see how much more ground we still have to cover. Take Asungaq with you. Come straight back if there's any trouble.

The young man nodded and whistled to Asungaq, running ahead of the rest, the wolf by his side.

* * *

"It's been a long time, Tuma. Do you think he's okay?" asked Inushuk, his face lined with worry. They had continued traveling, but had yet to come across Akalayak or Asungaq.

"I'm sure he's…" began the elderly man, but stopped before finishing, listening to what seemed like nothing.

Sure enough. a barking echoed in the distance, barely audible at first. "Asungaq!" cried Inushuk, breaking into a spring to meet his dog. The wolf didn't want a pat on the back, though. She seemed frantic and frightened, turning and running off in the opposite direction the minute she saw Inushuk.

"Wait!" he called, running after her. He ran for a good five minutes, often losing sight of Asungaq, before the wolf stopped. "What is it, girl?"

"Inushuk!" came the voice of his friend.

"Akalayak? Where are you?"

"Inushuk, help me!"

The hunter frantically searched for his friend, and it didn't take long to find him. The winter had only just passed, and spring had yet to completely replace it. Akalayak had been sprinting across what he thought was a frozen plane, when really it was a frozen lake, with thin, breakable ice in the middle.

"I'm coming! Try to relax!" he shouted to his friend, who was thrashing about in the small, human-sized hole he had made in the ice. He would have to be careful. He was heavier than Akalayak, and could easily fall through as well.

Not wasting a minute, he pulled the travel sack from his shoulder and dug out a thick piece of rope. He made a quick, crude harness and slipped it onto Asungaq. He lay down flat on his stomach and held tight to the rope, lips pursed, ready to signal Asungaq to pull him from the deadly waters if need be. He slid along the ice until he was about two feet from Akalayak. There, he stretched his arm out, handing the end of the rope to his friend. It was then that he felt the ice begin to crack underneath his weight. He whistled, and Asungaq trotted forward a bit, pulling him easily along the frictionless ice. The moment he was out of danger, Inushuk grabbed the rope and pulled, and before long, with some help from Tuma and Nanook when they arrived, Akalayak was sitting by a fire, still frozen to the bone.

"You didn't have to do that, you know," said Akalayak, his words shivering along with his body. "You could have fallen in, too, and then what? You could have died trying to save me."

Looking up, Inushuk took a breath and replied, "That's what you do in a herd. You look out for each other."

* * *

AN: Well, there you have it! The second chapter to my story! To be honest, I'm not real excited about this chapter. I just felt that it would be best to explain Inushuk and his problems before getting into the real plot-line of the story. Please R&R! More to be up soon! Until then! SteelersGrl36 


	3. Diego's Decision

AN: Well, here's the third chapter. For some reason, I've barely written anything and I'm already experiencing writers block! Due to this problem, this chapter is a little bit shorter than the past two, and in my opinion, not nearly up to their standard. I did, however, want to get another chapter up before the weekend, and here it is. Tell me what you think!

Chapter Three

The morning was just as any other. The sky was the same cerulean, mixed with thin, smoky white clouds. The grass was the same luscious green color, every now and then revealing a section of bare soil. A small herd of antelope grazed in the distance and a v-shaped flock of birds traveled overhead, some singing out in good spirit. The sun was risen just off of the horizon, shining its brilliance on every object and animal. Yet, somehow, there was a strange sense of foreboding about the large, bowl-shaped valley. As it was with the strange herd of mixed animals traveling through the gentle morning mist that had settled to the bottom of it.

At the front of the herd were three mammoths. One was a dark, chocolate brown, his eyes set and steady, focusing nowhere but straight ahead of him, a solemn sloth upon his mighty back. To his left was a light brown she-moth, her facial features worried, her trunk wrapped protectively around the frightened, mocha colored baby by her side. Unseen from the ground were two possums, just small, minute beings compared to the giant creature, buried in her fur.

Just behind the small wall of giant creatures were three smaller animals. Smaller, but deadly. Two female sabers walked side by side, their steps long and slow, an air of grace about them. A bit away from them strode another tiger, his golden coat shining in the oddly depressing sun, his emerald eyes staring protectively at his herd. He stepped with power and pride, head high, eyes showing no emotion.

After all, Diego had no need for other sabers, and other sabers had no need for him. Why should he and his herd be forced to stay with a pack when they didn't have to? He had pondered the thought, morphing it so many times within his own mind that he was sure the happenings of the past two days were but a dream.

The tiger glanced over at the two "guests" that had joined the herd for a night, having taken it upon himself to keep track of them. He found the pale-coated tigress glancing right back. Not thinking anything of it, he met her gaze for a moment, his eyes slightly cold, before looking straight ahead. He wasn't even remotely aware of Alaya closing her eyes, maybe slightly embarrassed, and sighing a bit.

* * *

An enormous roar soared over the calm of the day. At it's sound, the fifteen tigers that lived in that large rock cave to the west awoke, some yawning and stretching, some wide awake already, and some mumbling grumpily. Each and every one gathered around the mighty tiger atop a large rock.

"Good morning!" shouted Bruno. "Today, I am bringing us a new member of our pack. You as well as I know that we _must_ grow in size along with the humans, or we will perish. You as well as I know that we must find strong, intelligent tigers and tigresses to come and join us here, for if we add weak members, we shall never withstand an attack.

"I have found us strong, intelligent tiger, but he is not willing. He is strange. Different from us. He travels in a herd of herbivores. Two mammoths and their child, two possums, and a sloth. They will be coming with him to our home, for he refuses to part with them. I can not stress to you enough that these herbivores are not to be hunted! I have fought with this tiger myself, and I want him here with us! He had no problem pinning Alaya to the ground, and she is one of our best. He fought with me as well, and I am slightly ashamed to say that I was beaten, though I didn't fight hard. He isn't stronger than me, my friends, but he is undoubtedly quicker and more agile. His name is Diego.

"Arok, Ricato, you will come with me, and we, along with Aria and Alaya, will escort Diego and his friends back here. Remember, he isn't coming with us willingly, and I'm sure wouldn't come with us at all if we didn't put his friends on the line. I don't think he will give us any trouble under the circumstances, but know that his weak spot is the young mammoth. It's the weak spot of the whole herd. If this tiger is to be distracted, that is how you shall distract him. Go for the young mammoth, but do not injure her unless I give word. If we kill that mammoth, Diego has no reason to trust us or stay with us. Let's go."

The three tigers set out, running side by side. Around a tree, down a hill, through some mist, and into the line of sight of the other animals. At the sight of the familiar tigers, the two tigresses trotted away from their posts and came to stand by their pack.

Diego appeared as well between the two mammoths, and stepped ahead of the herd, coming face to face with Bruno.

"Diego, my friend, what is your decision?" the tiger asked, looking Diego in the eye.

Diego was silent for a moment before taking a deep breath and responding, "I'm not your friend. But we will come with you. We have no choice."

"I'm glad to hear it, Diego," stated Bruno, a smirk coming to his face at Diego's harsh tones. "And Diego. Just remember who's in charge of this pack, will you? Not you. Not your herd. Me. And if you do something that hurts my family, you will have three sabers at a time on your trail, hunting you down. Just remember that," he said, turning to walk in the other direction.

Diego felt a low growl arise in his throat, and he was unable to stop himself from rushing forward, ahead of Bruno, and spinning to face him. "Hold on, Bruno, we're not finished. You have some boundries, too, if I'm not mistaken."

"Very well, Diego, state your conditions," said the tiger, tilting his head a bit, the sabers on either side of him looking slightly threatening.

"Just remember who's in charge of this herd, Bruno," spoke Diego in a low voice, so as to not allow the other animals to hear. "Not you. Not your pack. Me. And if you do anything… _anything_ that hurts my family, you won't have three sabers on your trail. You'll have _me_ to answer to! Just remember that…"

Bruno's eyes seemed to loose their confident, non-emotional look for a moment, and his head lifted slightly higher, before his air of authority yet again found him. "We have an accord."

* * *

"That tiger is something else, Alaya," stated Aria, walking side by side with her sister.

"I don't think he's so special," Alaya growled stubbornly.

The tigress walking next to her sighed. "Alaya, go talk to him."

"I don't want to!" she defended herself, lifting her head and loping forward, falling into stride with Aroc.

Aria sighed, finding that playing matchmaker with her sister was much easier said than done. Her tawny eyes found Diego, and she stepped his way, deciding to aim for a different target.

"Diego! Wait up!" she called, and to her surprise, the tiger actually stopped for her. Never before had he come so close to being somewhat kind!

"What do you want?" he asked.

'_Well, there goes that thought_,' Aria told herself in her mind. Out loud, she said, "I just wanted to talk to you. I mean, it's not exactly a normal situation we're in, is it? Then again, I suppose you're not a normal tiger, are you?"

The words hit Diego quickly, and he lay his ears back a bit. Was this female mocking him? "What do you mean?"

"Well, look who you travel with! A sloth, two possums, and three mammoths! Really, I don't see why you don't just eat them! Especially that little one! Such an easy target!"

Diego couldn't stand listening to her anymore. If there was one thing he had, it was a temper. Normally he could keep it in check, but with the circumstances, his fur stood on end, and he silently pounced the tigress, so as to not alert the three male tigers a good ways ahead. It wasn't long before Alaya joined the fight, knocking Diego aside and rolling on the ground a bit, before being pinned down a second time by the tiger.

What the two didn't notice was Aria slinking away, a smile on her face. Her sister would talk to Diego eventually, and eventually was now.

Alaya struggled for a moment before giving up, a her mouth twisted into a frown. "Let me up!" she exclaimed, knowing from experience that she would never free herself. With a sigh, the tiger stepped off of her.

"Thank you," she said, her tone somewhat rude.

Diego laughed a bit at the look on the tigress's face, even as she turned to walk away.

"Hey!" he called to her, not quite sure why.

She looked back, a deadly look in her eyes.

"Don't lose momentum!"

Her eyes turned from cautious to curious. "What?" she asked, taking a step back towards him.

"Don't lose momentum. You can knock something over with as much force as you want, but it doesn't matter if you slow down before they do. If you're rolling, keep rolling. You're sure to get on top if you're attacking an enemy. It's the same with everything. If you're charging, keep charging. If you're running away, keep running away. That's all you have to do to have the upper hand," he said.

Why was he telling her this? He had never felt sorry for a tiger before, and here he was trying to make up for knocking her down. In any case, he must have done something kind, because Alaya came back to walk with him.

* * *

"Where'd you learn to fight, Diego? There aren't many tigers that can beat me, and to challenge Bruno you must be mad. And Aria and I heard what you said to him. You don't know how much that flared his temper, Diego, even if he didn't show it."

Diego paused for a good while before answering, After all, why should he tell her his life story? Then again, it really couldn't hurt. So he answered her question.

"I grew up in a pack. Only a small one, though. That was my family before Zoto took over. He sent just about every tiger packing, save for me and three others. Even my parents. I wanted to go with them, but he threatened to kill my mother if I did, even if he died himself in the process. I couldn't let her die, so I stayed.

"It's so horrible to be forced to do something, especially whenever you know that if you go wrong, another's life is on the line. Zoto raised me as his son, and being as young as I was, It didn't take very long for me to think of him as my father. Zoto taught me how to fight and how to obey. That's just about all he taught me, too. He head a heart for nothing but revenge, and used his "pack" to obtain it. We had no choice but to obey. Of course, by then it was normal to us. It seemed like the right thing to do, even if it really wasn't"

Alaya looked away from Diego as he looked up at her, not able to imagine being in his situation. It also didn't take her long to grasp the similarities between that situation and this one, and it took her even less time to feel bad about it.

Diego sighed, "Why am I telling you this? You don't care, and neither do I. Not anymore. I'm finally happy with what I have, and this pack of sabers isn't going to make me any happier!" The tiger was beginning to let his temper fly again. "We shouldn't be here! _We shouldn't be forced to stay_!" he shouted, running ahead of the tigress, not looking back at her and not looking forward either. He only slowed when he became aware of a large, dark brown mammoth next to him.

"Hey, what's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost," stated Manny lightly.

"Manny, you should move on. Take Ellie and Riley and get out of here! Get to somewhere safe! Get anywhere but here! You don't need to stay because of me. Go home." The words were said somberly, and somewhat softly.

"Diego," warned the mammoth, his tone slightly threatening, "we've been through this. We won't leave you here alone! We'll be fine. Bruno's going to keep his word, and we'll all be fine. Don't worry. We aren't leaving without you by our side. That's not what a herd does."

The tiger sighed and looked away, a movement which the mammoth knew as defeat. He wouldn't argue the topic any more. Not today, at least.

* * *

"Well, did you talk to him?" Aria asked?

"Yes," growled Alaya. "I talked to him."

"And?"

"And he told me a little about his past, said no one cared, got angry with himself, and ran off!" she blurted out.

"What exactly did he tell you?"

Alaya sighed and repeated Diego's story to her sister, repeating some parts when asked. "I just don't understand. What's so horrible about his past that he's not telling us, Aria? I mean, no matter how much we ask, he never told us where he found his herd."

The word herd flowed more fluently now from their mouths, and didn't sound so odd. Different, yes. Odd, no.

"Well, it's your job to find out, no?" replied Aria, tilting her head to look at her sister.

"But he didn't even want to talk to me today! How am I supposed to talk to him tomorrow?"

Aria laughed a bit, causing Alaya's head to lift, her eyes looking at her strangely. "It wasn't that he didn't want to talk to you. You were talking fine! There's just something that he refuses to tell anyone. And maybe you just came too close to getting that from him."

"Let's just wait until tomorrow, Aria."

* * *

The land they came upon was beautiful beyond beautiful. The newly-grown grass was just beginning to sprout from the ground by the millions; the trees surrounding the flat plains were large and stately, with leaves quickly beginning to evolve; several large rocks sat still as stone here and there, which some tigers were currently using for sunning; and in the near distance, a large, deep cave was cut out of the large stone wall. Yet it brought no joy to Diego's heart.

This was where they would stay. They didn't want to, but they would stay there, and they would do their best to make it their home.

* * *

AN: There you go. I know, not quite as good as the past two chapters. Sorry about that. I really am. I think I had a bit of trouble keeping Diego in character in some parts, but in the end, I suppose it's decent. Anyway, new chapter up soon! R&R!

SteelersGrl36


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